‘The Peaker’ - St Mary’s Priory Church Parish Magazine (January)
My Dear Friends,
May I begin my letter by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. A new year is a time for making resolutions and new beginnings. So it is with our “Peaker” magazine. Sadly, Sally Jones has had to give up printing our magazine for us to due to the death of her dear husband and her imminent move to Whitby – and so we welcome “Bests, the Printers” as the new company who will be producing the magazine for us and I look forward to working with them. Sadly, the cost of the “Peaker” has had to rise to 45p a copy (£4.50 yearly) but this would have been much greater had it not been for those who advertise in the magazine and thereby subsidize the true cost for us. This had lead me to some thoughts about “Christianity and Advertisements”. I want to begin with two quotes:
1. “A Christian is a living letter, known and read by all men, an open letter, an advertisement for Christianity” (26r. 3 v 23)
2. “We are so to live that when people see the good that we do they will want to give praise to our Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16)
What becomes very evident is that a Christian is an ambassador for Christ and that people will judge God and our Christian faith by what they observe in us. So a Christian life becomes the only effective advertisement for Christianity. My second point is that every advert makes a claim. “X Washes Whiter”, “Y Will Help Prevent Cholesterol”, “2 Will Make Your Home Smell Sweeter” and so on! Well, Christianity claims that it “Gives Rest and Joy, Peace and Power”. So one has to ask is there in our lives a calm serenity, a radiant happiness, a power to cope with life that the non-Christian does not possess? Or are we just as worried and anxious, just as gloomy and grumbling, and just as liable to collapse as the next man? Surely my point is that we cannot expect others to be drawn to Christianity if it makes no difference to a person at all.
Thirdly, advertising makes comparisons. By implication, one product will be compared to another so that by the comparison, one will be said to be superior and of a better quality to the other. Christians say that Christianity alone can save the world; we claim that it is better that any other religion. But you can only judge a religion can’t you by the people that it produces as there is no other standard available to be used. So for instance does the devotion of a Christian to his Church compare with the devotion of the Communist to his Party? Or if we compare the Churchman with the person who never goes to Church, is there any discernable difference? And, if not, then how can expect anyone who is not a Christian to want to become one.
Finally, advertising makes promises. Usually an advert promises that such and such a product will provide this or that service and will give this or that satisfaction. Well, the Church promises to supply fellowship which is both human and divine. But does it? Does the outside world really look upon the Church as a society of friends with an open door and an open heart and an open hand for all who will come? I sincerely hope and pray that it really will be such and that over the next twelve months we shall endeavour by God’s grace to put right what is wrong for all of us, that we will seek and welcome the people’s outlook on us and that they will be attracted to our Priory Church. So I end my New Year’s letter by asking each and every one of us and indeed my own unworthy self “Are you a good advertisement for Jesus Christ?” The Church wardens join with me in wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
Your Friend and Vicar,
John Manchester
Vicar Being Away.
I shall be away for two Sundays during January. The first Sunday is when I attend the marriage of Helena de Chair in Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday January 13th. Helena is the daughter of Lady Juliet Tadgell (nẽe Fitzwilliam) who is a great benefactress of our Church and she also provides my home. Helena (who will eventually inherit the Old Malton Estate) is to marry Mr Barry Reece Mogg and we wish them both every joy and blessing in their union. Secondly, I shall be taking my usual Christmas break when I shall be going to Chichester to see how Bishop Morris Maddocks is fairing and then to have a few days for myself. This will be from January 23rd until January 30th.
Our Christmas Fayre
Once again may I thank everyone who through donations or support made our Christmas Fayre a great success. At the moment over £2920 has been raised and is about £100 more than last year. Well done indeed!
Vicar
Services for January
The Healing Service (with Holy Communion and the Ministry of Intercessory Prayer) will be held on Tuesday January 2nd at 2pm. All are welcome.
Pram Service
Our next pram service will be held on Tuesday January 16th at 1.30pm. Always fun, we meet in the Church for our short service which is followed by a splendid afternoon tea and then “toys and noise”. Everyone is most welcome to join us.
Elizabeth Rice
Malton Town Christmas Party Monday January 8th at 5.30pm Christmas Dinner, Bingo and Entertainment Milton Rooms Tickets (which are free) can be obtained from the Ryedale District Council offices.
Sewing Guild
Our next sewing guild will be whilst the Vicar is away but we shall meet in his house on Wednesday January 24th at 2pm. Work completed is the two new green and violet chasubles and Anne has finished the first of the tapestry cushions for the choir. All are welcome to join us.
Margaret Welland & Hilda Ring
Dates for Your Diary in January
2nd Healing Service 2pm in Church
4th St Mary’s Ladies Fellowship 7.30pm in the Priory Centre
6th Feast of the Epiphany
8th Malton Town Christmas Party 5.30pm in the Milton Rooms
9th Vicar taking Malton C.P. School assembly at 9am
9th Rainbow Lane Service 2.30pm in the Rainbow Lane Centre
11th Mother’s Union meeting 2pm in the Priory Centre
12th -14th Vicar away in London and Canterbury
16th Pram Service 2pm in Church
19th Fellowship dinner at the Lodge 7pm for 7.30pm
25th Parish Lunch 12.15pm for 12.45pm in the Wentworth Arms
28th Family Service at 10am
Rainbow Lane Service
This is open to everyone. We shall meet on Tuesday January 9th at 2.30pm for our service which is followed by refreshments. There will be no celebration of Holy Communion on January 23rd as the Vicar will be away.
Parish Lunch
This very popular occasion will be held on Tuesday January 25th in the Wentworth Arms. We meet at 12.15pm for 12.45pm and to book your place please contact the Wentworth Arms on (01653) 692618. For “good fun, good company and good fellowship”, come and join us – see you there!
Jean Freer
Family Service
Our next Family Service will be held on Sunday January 28th at 10am. Always fun and “parent friendly”, come along and join us!
Vicar
Server’s Rota
January 7th 8.00am Elizabeth & Rebecca Harvey
11.55am Steve & Alex Morgan
14th 8.00am Emily & Joanne Freer
21st 8.00am Tom Bylo & Robert Freer
28th 8.00am David Nellis & George Mayhew
February 4th 8.00am Curtis & Joel Pickering
11.55am Jonathan Sturdy & Christopher Thackray
Sanctus Bell
January 7th 8.00am John Boyes
11.55am Helen Morgan
14th 8.00am John Kinghorn
21st 8.00am Terry Brockless
28th 8.00am Martin Hibbitt
Flower Rota
January 27th Carol Winship
February 3rd Tracie Bylo
Women’s Fellowship
We will meet in the Church Community Centre on Thursday January 4th at 7.30pm.
We will welcome our speaker Mrs Jane Varey who will be talking on “Homeopathy”.
Our competition for this month is a dressed peg doll and our raffle prize has been kindly donated by Daphne Smurthwaite. Our fellowship dinner is at the Old Lodge Hotel in Malton on Friday January 19th and we will meet at 7pm for 7.30pm. Husbands and friends are very welcome to join us. Please book your place(s) by January 10th, thank you!
Jean Freer
Bingo!
Many thanks to all who donated money and the lovely prizes for our Bingo. We had a wonderful night with a full house of players – a night that was truly enjoyed by all. We raised a grand total of £638.00 for our Church funds. Special thanks to our Bingo caller Derek Waters and to our ladies Bingo team who all helped to make our evening so great! We hope to see you on March 23rd for another evening of enjoyable Bingo!